Cable cutting mechanism



Sept. 15, 1931. J. F. HOWE 0 CABLE CUTTING MECHANISM Filed July 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l jnveiziar: JHMES Foeess'r HOWE,

Sept 15, 1931. .1. F. HOWE 1,823,103

CABLE CUTTING MECHANISM Filed July 18, 1930 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 haven/602a .l /wfa FOE/e557 Hon 5;

Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE JAMES FORREST HOWE, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY, CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CABLE CUTTING MECHANISM Application filed July 18,

: a heavy duty wire rope or cable cutter spei it cially adapted for cutting the anchor cables or ropes of concrete mattress revetments laid on river banks and similar places.

Heretofore the anchor ropes of revetments, 0 and in fact all marine ropes and cables which were desired to be terminated or out under water, had to be cut at a point above the water or else divers had to be employed to cut the rope or cable.

a The present invention provides a novel Figure 1 is a. schematic elevation showing the cutter of this invention in operation.

Figure 2 is a top planview thereof.

Figure .3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the cutter.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail showing the arrangement of cables for operating the cutter. V i

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a derrick steamer used in laying the concrete revetment 3 on the river or levee bank 4; p A barge 5 is tied or coupled to the steamer, as at 6, and the revetment is preferably formed on the barge and then lowered into the water.

In order to disclose the usefulness of the cutter of this invent on a brief description of one form of revetment will be given.

One standard form of revetment consists of an articulated construction made up of a series of concrete blocks or slabs approximately 11 inches wide by 3 to tinches thick by 16 inches long, cast around a layer of fabric reenforcement. The fabric itself is 4 feet wide and is preferably in approximately 25 foot-lengths and each length contains 23 or above the water and allowed to sink. mattress revetment and method of construc- 1930. Serial No. 468,978.

24 of the revetment blocks. The selvage wires of the fabric are left exposed and each block is separated from the next block by approximately a 1 inch space so as to form a flexible structure. The sections of fabric with their pre-cast blocks or slabs are arranged side-by-side and end-to-end and have their side edges or selvage wires clamped or otherwise secured to approximatelyf inch wire ropes or cables to form mattresses which cover as much of the river bank and bottom as desired. The wire ropes or cables are anchored to the shore or levee and the assembly progresses outwardly toward the middle of the body of water, the mattress sections being precast on barges, which barges are provided with launching equipment and material as is common for this class of work.

As the mattress sections are completed and joined to the cables they are lowered'into the 'water and the barges are moved out farther from shore until the river end of the mattress is often in 75 to 80 feet of water. When the outer terminal of the mattress is reached the anchor or attaching cables or ropes are cut The to eliminate this waste of rope or cable by cutting the rope at or adjacent the river bottom.

The cutter A comprises a body portion composed of two parts and 12. The parts 10 and 12 are each of integral construction formed by casting, forging or the like, and are composed of side walls 13 and 14 joined by top and bottom bridge portions 15 and 16 which terminate materially short of the outer ends of the side walls and are spaced vertlcally to provide a space for the mounting and operation of shear or cutter arms 17 and 18.

The body parts 10 and 12 are provided with vertically apertured hinge tongues or lugs 19 adapted to project between pairs of cooperating apertured hinge tongues or lugs 20 on the other body part. The lugs 19 and around the cable to be cut.

are adapted to be detachably held in assembled position by hinge pins 21 which pass through the apertures in said lugs and are locked in position by set screws 22. The pins 21 are provided with eyes 23 at their upper ends to permit the attaching of suitable ropes or cables for supporting and lowering the cutter into cutting position.

The bridge portions 15 and 16 are provided with vertically extending grooves 24, which when the body parts 10 and 12 are assembled, cooperate to form a guideway to receive the rope or cable to be cut.

The cutter arms 17 and 18 are pivotally mounted on pivot pins which pass through apertures at the inner ends of the arms and above their longitudinal center lines so that downward movement of said arms will cause the portions of their inner ends below said pivot pins to move inwardly toward the rope to be cut. Cutter blades 26 are mounted in slots 27 in the inner ends of the arms 17 and 18 at points materially below the pivot pins 25 and are locked in position by set screws 28.

Suitable adjustable stop screws 29 are mounted in the bottom bridge portions 16 of the body parts to limit the downward movement of the cutter arms.

The outer ends of the cutter arms are in the form of a clevis 30 to receive the lower ends of toggle links 31 which are pivotally held in position by pivot pins 32.

Operating levers 33 are pivotally mounted on pins 3d at a point adjacent their inner ends, which ends are clevis-shaped to receive the upper ends of toggle links 31. The upper ends or" the links 31 are pivotally connected to the levers 33 by pins 35. z

The outer ends of the levers 33 are con nected by cables 36 to a spreader plate 37 which is in turn connected to the hoisting cable 38 of the derrick Y or other hoisting mechanism carried on the steamer 2.

In order to lower the cutter A, separate ropes or cables 39 are connected to the eyes 23 of the hinge pins 21 and may be either trained up over the head pulley of the derrick Y and connected to hoisting means independent of that used for the cable 38, as shown, or said cables may be operated manually from the steamer 2 or barge 5, as desired.

In operation, assuming that the cutter is assembled, one ot he pins 21 will be removed and the body parts swung open to permit the mounting of the body of the cutter The cutter body is then closed with the cable to be out in the guideway formed by the grooves 26L. The

placement by the set-screw 22.

The cutter will then be lowered by the cables 39 and held in suspendcdposition at the point below the water where the cable is to be cut. The cable to be out forms a guide on which the cutter travels into cutting position. After the cutter is positioned the cable 38 will be operated to provide an up pull on the cables 36 and levers 33, thus rocking the cutter arms 17 and 18 abouttheir pivots 25 through the toggle link connection 31 and forcing the blades .or knives 26 to cut the cable. At the time the cutter arms are rocked to cut the cable the inner ends of said arms will grip the cable above the cut. Continued elevation of the cable or rope 38 by the-derrick or other hoisting mechanism will hoist the cutter and severed cable end out of the water and onto the barge 5.

The cutter will then be disengaged from the severed cable and made ready for cutting another cable. 7

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A marine type wire rope and cable cutter comprising a two-part body member adapted to be fit around the rope to be cut and recessed to receive said rope, means for suspendingly supporting and for moving said body into the water, a pair of cutter arms pivotally mounted in said body on opposite sides of said rope to be cut, toggle means for operating said arms to cut said rope, and flexible means extending above the water for operating said toggle means.

'2. A marine type wire rope and cable cutter comprising in combination a hoisting apparatus, a two-part body member, said body member having its parts connected by hinged joints having removable hinge pins to permit breaking of said joints, at least one of said joints being adapted to be broken to permit the'mounting of said body around the rope to be out, said body parts being provided with vertical recesses to receive the rope to be cut, said body being suspendingly supported and adapted to be lowered into the Water by a flexible hoisting element of said hoisting apparatus, a pair of cutter arms pivotally mounted in said body on opposite sides of the rope to be cut, toggle means for operating said arms to out said rope,

and a flexible hoisting element of said hoisting apparatus connected to said toggle means for'operating said toggle means and for elevating said cutter out of the water.

3. A marine type wire rope and cable cutter comprising a two-part body member having its parts hingedly connected at opposite sides, removable hinge pins in said hinge connections to permit breaking of at least one of said joints to mount said body around the rope to be cut, said body par-ts being provided with cooperating recesses to form a guide channel adapted to receive the rope to be cut and guide the cutter along said rope to the point to be out, cutter arms pivotally mounted on said body, and toggle means for operating said arms to cut the rope.

4:. A marine type Wire rope and cable cutter comprising a two-part body member having its parts hingedly connected at opposite sides, removable hinge pins in said hinge connections to permit breaking of at least one of said joints to mount said body around the rope to be out, said body parts being provided With cooperating recesses to form a guide channel adapted to receive the rope to be cutand guide the cutter along said rope to the point to be out, toggle means for operating said arms to cut the rope, and means for limiting the cutting stroke of said arms.

5. A marine type Wire rope and cable cutter comprising a body member adapted to be fitted around the rope to be cut, a vertical guideivay in said body adapted to receive the rope to be cut so that said body will be guided during its travel along said rope to the point Where the cut is to be made, means for supporting said cutter, cutter arms pivotally mounted on said body at opposite sides of said guideway, and toggle means for operating said cutter arms.

6. A marine type Wire rope and cable cutter comprising a body member adapted to be titted around the rope to be out, a vertical guideWay in said body adapted to receive the rope to be cut so that said body will be guided during its travel along said rope to the point Where the cut is to be made, means for supporting said cutter, cutter arms pivotally mounted on said body at opposite sides of said guidevvay, toggle means for operating said cutter arms, means for operating said toggle means from a point distant from said cutter, and means for limiting the cutting stroke of said cutter arms.

7 A marine type Wire rope and cable cutter comprising a body member adapted to be fitted around the rope to be cut, a vertical guideway in said body adapted to receive the rope to be cut so that said body will be guided during its travel along said rope to the point Where the cut is to be made, means for supporting said body member, cutters mounted on the body member, and means for operating said cutters from a distant point.

8. A marine type Wire rope and cable cutter comprising a body member adapted to be fitted around the rope to be cut, a vertical guideway in said body adapted to receive the rope to be cut so that said body Will be guided during its travel along said rope to the point Where the cut is to be made, means for supporting said body member, cutters mounted on the body member, means for operating said cutters from a distant point, and means for limiting the cutting stroke of said cutters.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES FORREST HOWE. 

